Author Of 2 Presentations
P0219 - Ocrelizumab Phase IIIb efficacy from CASTING: 2-year NEDA (MRI re-baselined) subgroup rates in RRMS patients with a suboptimal response to prior DMTs (ID 974)
Abstract
Background
Patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) often experience disease activity despite receiving a disease-modifying therapy (DMT). The Phase IIIb CASTING study (NCT02861014) of ocrelizumab evaluated the efficacy/safety in patients with RRMS who had a prior suboptimal response to one or two DMTs (primary endpoint: 2-year no evidence of disease activity [NEDA] rate).
Objectives
To evaluate CASTING 2-year NEDA outcomes by inclusion criteria, baseline characteristics and prior DMT.
Methods
Patients (Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] score ≤4.0; discontinued prior DMT of ≥6 months’ duration due to suboptimal disease control) received intravenous ocrelizumab 600 mg every 24 weeks for 96 weeks. The primary endpoint of NEDA (with prespecified MRI re-baselining at Week 8) was defined as absence of: protocol-defined relapses, 24-week confirmed disability progression, T1‑weighted contrast-enhancing and new/enlarging T2-weighted lesions over 2 years.
Results
A total of 680 patients were evaluated (female, 64%; mean [SD] baseline EDSS score, 2.1 [1.1]; pretreated with one or two DMTs, including orals and injectables, n=411 [60.4%]/n=269 [39.6%]; enrolled due to activity of: MRI only, n=167 [24.6%]; relapse only, n=238 [35.0%]; MRI and relapse, n=275 [40.4%]). After 2 years, 74.8% (n/N=492/658) of patients had NEDA (with MRI re-baselined at Week 8). The NEDA rate was highest among patients enrolled due to MRI activity alone (80.6%) versus enrollment for relapse (75.1%) or relapse with MRI (70.5%). NEDA rates across disease-related subgroups were highest in the subgroups of baseline EDSS score <2.5 (77.2%), ≤1 relapse prior to enrollment (78.2%) and the event leading to enrollment occurring ≥6 months prior to study entry (75.8%) versus the counterpart subgroups of EDSS score ≥2.5 (70.8%), >1 relapse prior to enrollment (66.3%) and the event leading to enrollment occurring <6 months prior to entry (71.0%). The NEDA rate did not vary by baseline age (≤40 years, 74.7%; >40 years, 75.0%). NEDA rates were higher in patients receiving one prior DMT (77.6%) versus two prior DMTs (70.3%) and remained generally high when stratified by the last prior DMT received before enrollment: interferons, 81.1%; glatiramer acetate, 73.9%; dimethyl fumarate, 73.8%; teriflunomide 69.8%; fingolimod, 68.9%.
Conclusions
The NEDA rate was high overall and across a wide range of disease-related and demographic subgroups, regardless of prior treatment background.
P0392 - Shorter infusion time of ocrelizumab: results from the ENSEMBLE PLUS study in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (ID 900)
Abstract
Background
Ocrelizumab (OCR) is an intravenously administered anti-CD20 antibody approved for relapsing and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Shortening the infusion duration to 2hrs reduces the total site stay (including mandatory pre-medication/infusion/observation) from 5.5–6hrs, to 4hrs, which may reduce patient and site staff burden.
Objectives
ENSEMBLE PLUS aims to investigate the safety and tolerability of OCR when administered over a shorter infusion time.
Methods
ENSEMBLE PLUS is a randomized, double-blind substudy to the ENSEMBLE study (NCT03085810). In ENSEMBLE, treatment-naïve patients with active, early-stage relapsing-remitting MS (18–55 years; disease duration ≤3 years; EDSS score 0–3.5) receive OCR 600mg infusions every 24 weeks for 192 weeks. In ENSEMBLE PLUS, OCR (600mg) administered over the approved infusion time (3.5hrs; conventional duration), was compared with a 2hr infusion (shorter duration); the infusion duration of the initial 2×300mg dose was unaffected. The frequency and severity of infusion-related reactions (IRRs) were assessed during and 24hrs post-infusion. The ENSEMBLE PLUS primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with IRRs at the first Randomized Dose.
Results
In total, 373 and 372 patients were randomized to the conventional and shorter infusion groups, respectively. At the first Randomized Dose, 99 patients (26.5%) in the conventional and 107 (28.8%) in the shorter infusion group had IRRs (difference in proportions, stratified estimates [95% CI]: 2.4% [-3.8, 8.7]); most common symptoms during the infusion were throat irritation, dysphagia and ear pruritus, whilst 24hrs post-infusion were fatigue, headache and nausea. IRRs led to infusion slowing/temporary interruption in 22 patients (5.9%) in the conventional and 39 (10.5%) in the shorter infusion group. The majority of IRRs were mild or moderate. Across all Randomized Doses, four severe (Grade 3) IRRs occurred in total, one in the conventional and three in the shorter infusion group. Overall, >99% of IRRs resolved without sequelae in both groups. No IRRs were serious, life-threatening or fatal; no IRR-related discontinuations occurred. Adverse events (AEs) and serious AEs were consistent with the known OCR safety profile.
Conclusions
Frequency and severity of IRRs were similar between conventional and shorter infusions. No new safety signals were detected. Shorter ocrelizumab infusions reduce the infusion site stay, thus may reduce patient and staff burden.